Jellicle Shorts
by Aithilin
Summary: Flash fictions for various CATS characters. No actual tying plot.
1. No Good Deed

**_No Good Deed_**

_Aithilin_

Summary: No good deed goes unpunished.

---

Rumours travelled quickly in the cat world, and they tended to move faster than the subject ever could to dispel them. Carried by the rail, the river, and, more often than not, cats "fleeing" from some "disaster" they had witnessed without knowing the full story. Only snippets ever survived to form these rumours, exaggerated beyond recognition and destroyed until the parties involved could believe that the stories were of other cats.

An accident became a murder. A fire became an arson. An attempt to help turned into the malicious desire to maim and destroy. A blessing turned into a curse. And in the life of a conjurer, all rumours created dangerous results.

He had been trying to help; trying to save the guardian's kitten like he was supposed to. But a simple mistake, a mislabelled jar ruined it all and his failed attempt to save a life had become an assassination. Was it not bad enough that he had a life on his conscience, now?

No, the story and speculation went flying well ahead of him, carried on the rail and by the cats on the river that had heard the wailing or seen the funeral. Before he had finished grinding the last of his ingredients into the ground of his ruined den, he was a murderer and an attempted usurper.

According to the stories, he had been expelled from his tribe after a fight. He had been bloodied and humiliated. Not, as had happened, threatened and told that he had to leave for his accidental "crime". He had not stolen away before he could be escorted out, it seemed.

Now his name was something to be feared. Before he had set foot on the station platform, the rumours and tales had moved ahead of him to destroy his chances.

Macavity was a murderer.


	2. Forgiveness

**_Forgiveness _**

Summary: Even the holy need to be forgiven.

---

The air was heavy. Because of it, he was the only one left in the junkyard. Everyone else had gone to find shelter from the coming rain.

He didn't want to join the Jellicles in hiding.

He liked the way the water seemed to have enough weight to push him down if the storm was bad enough. He liked the way it matted his fur together and washed everything away. He especially liked the way it made him feel afterwards.

Clean, refreshed, forgiven.

He wondered if anyone ever considered him mad. There had been jokes when he was younger, of course. Biting remarks that referred to his ambitions and parentage, or lack thereof. And now, how it must look, for such a respected cat about town to sit out in the rain, as if too lazy, or big, or old, to move indoors.

But he liked it. The way the rain washed away the ridicule from his youth. Numbed the doubts of his present. Offered a promise of comfort for the future and the choices he would have to make then. Such as the choice to make one cat's dreams come true, but crush those of another.

As the heavens opened and the Everlasting Cat sent down his graces to cleanse the world, as often as it was needed, Old Deuteronomy sighed and smiled, and shifted on the vicarage wall to enjoy the feel of the heavy drops sinking into his fur. Washing away his sins.


	3. She Was Like Fire

**She Was Like Fire**

Summary: Fire burns fast, hot, and falls silent again.

---

She was like fire. She burned silent and fast. Rare moments of abandon that rippled through the tribe and drew the attention of everyone around.

So passionate, so beautiful, so fragile as she danced as if caught in the wind. But she would burn anyone that tried to get close. For that, all the toms wanted her, and the queens all admired her. For her grace and her standing in the tribe.

Even cat's outside of the tribe wanted her. It was not a hidden fact, and she enjoyed it.

She flaunted it. Like fire, she danced to display. She lured and enticed, only to step out of reach as a tom got close. Her smile would fade as a tom approached and tried to join her dance. But it returned as they drew away and she was alone in her own world again.

Eyes would meet, and she would smile at that one specific tom that had her attention. She would not draw away as he came closer, falling into step his her and drawing heat from her fire. Though, he always stopped her. Stopped the dance and shooed the other cats away with a smile and wave.

The rest of the dance was private. Only meant to burn between the two.

How Munkustrap did love to watch Demeter dance.

She was like fire.


	4. Eternal

**Eternal**

Summary: Some things can last forever.

---

I've been around for what seems like "forever".

I've seen too many cats come and go, live and die, hate and love, to care about it anymore. Now, I just watch. I can see them all. Everything.

Their thoughts, their emotions… That piece of food Tumblebrutus just stole from Pouncival.

The kittens never cease to amuse me. So young and vibrant, but trying to grow up _way_ too fast.

Adulthood isn't so much fun. Every so often even I have to just let loose and play. Maybe disappear for a short time. Come back when there's a new batch of kittens to watch. See if any of the adults remember me.

So far, it seems like only Tugger remembered me from his kittenhood. It must have been all those tricks I did for him.

"Hey, Mistoffelees, get over here and have some fun."

I smile at the maned cat, but don't reply verbally, he hates that.

---

_Note:_ This was inspired by a portion of Fearful Little Thing's **Just a Game**, and may be turned into a fic later on.


End file.
